How important is the season opener?

[walshfan]

This has been hashed around on other boards so I thought Id bring it up ( since I'm getting tired of the Walter-Warrick-Washington debates!)....

I see the opener as a HUGE game for us...

Its at Cleveland so a road win is important..

I see the odds of beating Cleveland at PBS good so we'd be 2-0 against them.

It gives us the opportunity to go 4-2 in the division by splitting with Balt and Pitt.

If we lose we'd have to sweep either the Stillers or Ravens to go 4-2 ( which Im surmising will either win or tie for the division title..) and I don't really see that happening..

If we lose we have to win 10 of the remaining 15 games and I much rather have to go 9-6 ( three games over .500 ) than 10-5 ( 5 games over ) to get to the playoffs..

A 3-3 division record limits our chances to make it.....

I see this opener as not only a good shot at the division but setting the tone for the whole season.......

I think the Ravens and Steelers are looking at it the same way this season.

The Browns arent good but i doubt they're going to go 0-6 in the division..

Someone is going to fall to them.. Just hope it isnt us.....

[Who?]

I think the Browns will come out of the opener with an upset, Romeo has been playing a vanilla defense all preaseason and I think he's going to surprise everyone when the regular season starts.

[skyline]

I think the Browns will come out of the opener with an upset, Romeo has been playing a vanilla defense all preaseason and I think he's going to surprise everyone when the regular season starts.

And the other teams haven't been using vanilla defenses and offenses?

Anyway, the first game is huge, I agree.

It's a conference game.

It's against one of our biggest rivals.

If we win it'll be a huge step towards getting that slow start monkey off our back.

If we lose, it won't be the end of the world, but things could get ugly right from the beginning...

[StripesNTn]

I think the Browns will come out of the opener with an upset, Romeo has been playing a vanilla defense all preaseason and I think he's going to surprise everyone when the regular season starts.

i think your smoking crack, but who really knows eh?

[The_Next_Big_Thing]

I think the Browns will come out of the opener with an upset, Romeo has been playing a vanilla defense all preaseason and I think he's going to surprise everyone when the regular season starts.

What, he's got a chocolate defense hanging out and isn't sharing it? Or maybe Mocha?

It will not be a blowout, but we should win, and need to win this game to start out right.

The game that is MORE important in my mind is the home opener.

[Stripes]

I think the Browns will come out of the opener with an upset, Romeo has been playing a vanilla defense all preaseason and I think he's going to surprise everyone when the regular season starts.

They certainly did it last season, so upsets can't be ruled out. Baltimore let the Browns whoop 'em to open the year, but the Bengals are more likely to be prepared than the Ravens were. All offseason/preseason long the team has been hearing about "getting off to a fast start." They've been forced to begin on the road against a big rival, so they'll be ready.

[bengalrick]

as an indicator to how good our team will be, i don't think that it will show us much of anything... the facts are, it doesn't matter how good the teams in our division, its almost always a good game... last year, the s**tty ass browns beat us... 2 years before, we beat pittsburgh, when nobody else could... and we were 2-14 that year!!! it just seems that the rivalry takes over, and its almost always a good game when we play the ravens, browns, and steelers... it sucks, but it seems to be true..

but the real question you asked, is how important is it to the rest of the season... i think its important to start off 3-2 or 4-1, b/c by that time, odell should be tearing it up... he and pollack will continue to progress, so the better we start, the better record we'll ahve at the end of the year... we need to beat the hell out of the brownies and have a quick start... we WILL be in the playoffs if this happens...

[Stripes]

as an indicator to how good our team will be, i don't think that it will show us much of anything... the facts are, it doesn't matter how good the teams in our division, its almost always a good game... last year, the s**tty ass browns beat us... 2 years before, we beat pittsburgh, when nobody else could... and we were 2-14 that year!!! it just seems that the rivalry takes over, and its almost always a good game when we play the ravens, browns, and steelers... it sucks, but it seems to be true..

but the real question you asked, is how important is it to the rest of the season... i think its important to start off 3-2 or 4-1, b/c by that time, odell should be tearing it up... he and pollack will continue to progress, so the better we start, the better record we'll ahve at the end of the year... we need to beat the hell out of the brownies and have a quick start... we WILL be in the playoffs if this happens...

Our wins during the 2-14 year were over Houston (34-3 I believe) and New Orleans (20-17).

[BengalByTheBay]

I hate talking about "must wins" -- especially for the first game of the season. However, this is a very big and important game for this team. We need to play well and if we play well we will win. If we do not play well and lose, the confidence will plummet. I think we have been reading some of our own press so far and sort-of expecting the offense to destroy everything in its path. That has not been the case so far. Yes, pre-season record means nothing -- but that doesn't mean that stinking it up in pre-season makes you play better right off the bat. This is a big game.

As for the suggestion that Cleveland has been playing a "vanilla" defense and will come out smoking on the season, I just don't see it. If anything, I think Cleveland has been trying pretty hard to win these pre-season games -- harder than most other teams.

[HoosierCat]

The opener will be a good test of this team. While I still think the Browns won't be as bad as some pundits think, they still aren't going to be very good. However, as I noted in a thread a while back, it's precisely the Bengals' habit of dropping games to poor teams that has short-circuited their playoff hopes for the last two years.

[bengalrick]

as an indicator to how good our team will be, i don't think that it will show us much of anything... the facts are, it doesn't matter how good the teams in our division, its almost always a good game... last year, the s**tty ass browns beat us... 2 years before, we beat pittsburgh, when nobody else could... and we were 2-14 that year!!! it just seems that the rivalry takes over, and its almost always a good game when we play the ravens, browns, and steelers... it sucks, but it seems to be true..

but the real question you asked, is how important is it to the rest of the season... i think its important to start off 3-2 or 4-1, b/c by that time, odell should be tearing it up... he and pollack will continue to progress, so the better we start, the better record we'll ahve at the end of the year... we need to beat the hell out of the brownies and have a quick start... we WILL be in the playoffs if this happens...

Our wins during the 2-14 year were over Houston (34-3 I believe) and New Orleans (20-17).

my bad... it was our 6-10 year the year before...

[Bobcat Bengal]

There was someone who relayed a important little tidbit of information that I thought I would share with you all:

Since the Browns' re-incarnation in '99, they have lost every opener, EXCEPT....

Ones that were played against Division opponents.

[CBin2k7]

There was someone who relayed a important little tidbit of information that I thought I would share with you all:

Since the Browns' re-incarnation in '99, they have lost every opener, EXCEPT....

Ones that were played against Division opponents.

Didn't the Browns lose the first game to the Steelers 43-0 in 99

[Bobcat Bengal]

There was someone who relayed a important little tidbit of information that I thought I would share with you all:

Since the Browns' re-incarnation in '99, they have lost every opener, EXCEPT....

Ones that were played against Division opponents.

Didn't the Browns lose the first game to the Steelers 43-0 in 99

You may be right.....

Oops.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

The opener is a very important game, because the Browns are one of the only two true pushovers that the Bengals have on the schedule (Chicago being the other).

For the non-division games, the Bengals should beat CHI, HOU, TEN, and DET.

They should lose to MIN and IND.

The games against JAX, GB, BUF, and KC look like they could go either way at this point.

Assuming they win the games they should win, lose the games they should lose, and split the close ones, that makes them 6-4 out of the division. I know that nothing ever ends up that neat and tidy, but I see the non-division schedule as one that they will go about 6-4 against regardless.

That means they need to do better than 3-3 in the division to get to the playoffs, because no way is a 9-7 team hitting the AFC wildcard or winning the North. A team could even go 10-6 and miss, but the Bengals have such a tough schedule they should win strength of schedule in the event of a tiebreaker.

So in the end, I think the Bengals need to go 4-2 in the division, which will be hard to do without sweeping Cleveland. So yes, they need the opener because their job gets a lot harder without it. I'm still hoping that KC gets old really fast, Fraud Taylor doesn't play a down this year, GB's defense continues to fall apart, and JP Losman sinks the Bills. That would help the Bengals' schedule and the Wild Card picture.

[TippCityRick]

Imperative that we win game one up north. This team must start fast and losing a gimme would be horrible for our momentum. They must start 4-2 at minimum to get to the playoffs. Good question, but I believe we've hashed this one around quite a bit.

[DesperateDerelict]

How important is the season opener?

It ranks right up there with oxygen, food, and poontang! It's not too early for a must win - it's a must win!

[walshfan]

The opener is a very important game, because the Browns are one of the only two true pushovers that the Bengals have on the schedule (Chicago being the other).

For the non-division games, the Bengals should beat CHI, HOU, TEN, and DET.

They should lose to MIN and IND.

The games against JAX, GB, BUF, and KC look like they could go either way at this point.

Assuming they win the games they should win, lose the games they should lose, and split the close ones, that makes them 6-4 out of the division. I know that nothing ever ends up that neat and tidy, but I see the non-division schedule as one that they will go about 6-4 against regardless.

That means they need to do better than 3-3 in the division to get to the playoffs, because no way is a 9-7 team hitting the AFC wildcard or winning the North. A team could even go 10-6 and miss, but the Bengals have such a tough schedule they should win strength of schedule in the event of a tiebreaker.

So in the end, I think the Bengals need to go 4-2 in the division, which will be hard to do without sweeping Cleveland. So yes, they need the opener because their job gets a lot harder without it. I'm still hoping that KC gets old really fast, Fraud Taylor doesn't play a down this year, GB's defense continues to fall apart, and JP Losman sinks the Bills. That would help the Bengals' schedule and the Wild Card picture.

You think as I do about the division record....

two ways to make the playoffs.. win division or 10-6 ( hopefully ) or better overall record...

A loss to the Browns really hurts their chances of the divison ...

Id like to keep both options open this season.....

[HairOnFire]

You may be right.....

Oops.

Well it sounded good for a minute.

As far as the opener against the Browns, the real test isn't whether the Bengals can beat an inferior team that will be gunning for them. It's a test of the changes Marvin has made in regards to starting fast. Based upon comments the Bengals have made for a couple of months now they're focusing hard on the Browns and as a result a loss to that team will say far more about the Bengals than it does about the Browns.

Simply put, a win won't make the Bengals contenders, but it will strengthen the belief that they're pretenders, and that could have serious imapct on the mental health of a very young team that fancies itself as having turned a corner.

As for how important the game is? I guess I can't call it a must win, but if the don't emerge with a victory I think we'll be talking about the lost opportunity all season long.

[JPW]

I think the Browns will come out of the opener with an upset...

I see a lot of brownie fans already chalking this one up as a win for them.

I am not buying it ...

While it is not a "must win" game for us, it is as close to being one as any opening game can be.

The Bengals will not be taking this game lightly and will not allow the brownies to pull any upset crap.

[TippCityRick]

As far as the opener against the Browns, the real test isn't whether the Bengals can beat an inferior team that will be gunning for them. It's a test of the changes Marvin has made in regards to starting fast. Based upon comments the Bengals have made for a couple of months now they're focusing hard on the Browns and as a result a loss to that team will say far more about the Bengals than it does about the Browns.

Simply put, a win won't make the Bengals contenders, but it will strengthen the belief that they're pretenders, and that could have serious imapct on the mental health of a very young team that fancies itself as having turned a corner.

As for how important the game is? I guess I can't call it a must win, but if the don't emerge with a victory I think we'll be talking about the lost opportunity all season long

Amen, Hair. Amen.

[Marshall Law]

Call me crazy, but I don't see any possible way we can lose this game....two words...TRENT DILFER!!!!! hahahahahahahaha

poor turds

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

Call me crazy, but I don't see any possible way we can lose this game....two words...TRENT DILFER!!!!!  hahahahahahahaha

poor turds

Don't want to burst your bubble, but a team won the Super Bowl with him. Admittedly that team had one of the best defenses of the last decade (possibly *the* best), but I don't think Dilfer's as bad as people make him out. I honestly think he's still better than Boller.

Now, that doesn't mean the Browns have much of a chance of winning, as they have a crappy running game, mediocre receivers, and little talent on defense.

[TecmoFever]

There was someone who relayed a important little tidbit of information that I thought I would share with you all:

Since the Browns' re-incarnation in '99, they have lost every opener, EXCEPT....

Ones that were played against Division opponents.

This could be due to the fact that in many of those years, our beloved AFC North has been less than dominant.

[jbx182]

the bengals have to beat cleveland twice, and at least split with the other 2 in order to get to the playoffs. this 1st game is huge.